Chennai: With Tamil Nadu trying hard to fill
the demand-supply gap in the power sector, the ruling AIADMK
on Wednesday said it would encourage the private sector to focus in
areas other than hydro-electric power.
Making a reply in the Assembly during Question Hour,
Electricity Minister R Viswanathan said private players could
also apply for using existing infrastructure.
"We will encourage private power generation. They can
produce power other than hydro-electric power which can be
done only by the respective state government undertakings," he
said in response to a question.
Finance Minister O Panneerselvam in his budget last
week had said Tamil Nadu was facing a power shortage of
2500-3500 MW, with present installed capacity being 10,237 MW
and average availability 8000 MW. Demand ranged from 10,500 to
11,500 MW.
It said while actual capacity addition was only 206 MW in
the last five years of the DMK regime, the AIADMK government
assured to add about 3280 MW in 2011-12.
PTI
